San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-12-10
val RI .:
HAL. A TR ] TIL .
81 "THE DUCHESS. ,

| COs rAll dlCilCY SNSstlllNf DuN
turning aside her face, while her breast
heaved, 81 must not let you be unjust to
him. l am to blame, not he, and he has o
right to be vexed."
You are generous-to q friend" said
| BeGuregard, bending down to her, and
speaking in low, quick tone, q slight
stress on the last word.
He should not have uttered that sentence:
| he had no right 10 ask the question it i'm
| pliei but he felt IN that moment that he
must know the truth; and he was a man
used to resolve and to do in breath, q
nun to whom suspense was intolerable.
Valerie started, and cOlOred deeply. She
| might have resented the implication. Had
| she been a woman OF the world, instead of
| very young girl taking her first peep into
| IL. she might have been flattered by IL; but
| rs It was-especially in her present state Of
remOrse in regard to LOus-it seemed like
disloynlty to him to withhold the fact that
| he was more than friend to her. So,
| playing nervously with her fan, and turn
| ing away yet more, she answered, almost
| in a whisper:
But, yes-he is not friend-at least
you know-we are engaged, Louis and l."
IL uOb GOlhS Ods Ia
| fashion, she felt; but little cared Max Beau
regard in what form the information came;
| the thing was that 1t was given; her own
| lips told him she was engaged to Louis
| Charters. and all the strong self control OF
nature and long habit combined could not
prevent him going white to the lips, or give
him power for another word for full two
minutes. How great the shock would be
20 h. had raol{1aH until
came. We never can, in contemplation,
fully realize shocks like these. Boy and
G1rl love this might be; on the girls side
hardly love at all, in the sense Of passion.
But Max Beauregard was chivalrous IN all
matters Of honor, and would have held 1t
base indeed to disregard the tie that bound
Valerie to her old playmate, the more that
he knew that he could, If he would, snap
It like a thread.
The struggle for self-command was brief,
If terribly sharp; and Valerie, not looking
at him, misread the cause Of his silence.
It flashed across her that he thought she
was annoyed with him for speaking as he
had done, and she said, hurriedly:
"You don't think / mind your showing
what you thought, Captain Beauregard2
don't see why anyone shouldn't know"
81 think" he said, gently, that you are
kinder to me than deserve, for have no
claim to friends privileges"
"Ah, but indeed you haver' said Valerie,
with desperate, unconscious clinging to
what she felt was somehow slipping away
from her.
Then" said Beauregard, in lighter
tone, to hide the stab her words gave him,
"let me exercise my privilege, and ask you
to try and put from you what troubles you,
and be happy. You are too young to suf.
fer. Don't you remember Longfellow's
words?
ENJOY the spring of love and youth
To some good angel leave the rest:
For time will teach thee soon the truth
There are no birds In last years nest"
He spoke smiling, and, rising gave her
his arm to lead her to Mrs. Fanshawe; but
Valerie'S dark eyes filled with tears, and
she felt that there was not much more
happiness for her that evening.
Later on Louis thawed, and when he led
Valerie out for his second dance, begged
her in a whisper to forgive him; he had
been cruel to show so much anger. But
the load on her heart seemed scarcely light
ened until it was Captain Beauregard's
dance again, and then once more she was
happy.
Sunlight was mingling with daylight
when the ball broke up, and Mrs Faushawe
asked Valerie. laughing, If shs was salts.
ned with her triumph.
81 don't know" she answered, half smil
ing. Il suppose ought to be-"
Louis had said goodbye and left, prom.
Using to call at the Lines the next day.
1t was Captain Beauregard who brought
oil oil
fully about her.
Fairies are scarce, you know" he said,
with his bright, tender smile. You must
take care Of yourself"
He drew her hand on his arm and led her
out to the carriage following General Fan.
shave and his wife; then, as they waited
while the elder lady was entering the car
riage, Beauregard bent down to his young
companion, clasping closely the little hand
that rested on his arm.
Let me say now" he said, in low
voice, show, from my heart, hope your
future life may be very, very happy. Good
night. Heaven keep your
These were the last words Valerie heard
from Max Beauregard for many a weary
day, and she could neither answer him MOI
look at him. He placed her in the carriage
shook hands with the General and his wife
bowed as the carriage moved on, and, turn
ing away, walked back alone to the bar.
racks, avoiding all his brother-off1cers, even
Hal Dallas. He was scarcely in a mood
Just now to talk to anyone.
But that night, so looked forward to by
Valerie, so strangely mingled with sweet
and bitter in the fulfillment of the wish
was, in all things, the turning point in heI
life-the commencement of revolution IL
all that had hitherto made up the sum Of
her existence.
And before the sun, whose dawn had
looked in on the brilliant ballroom, was
high in the heavens, all was hustle and ex
element at bennington Barracks. A.
eight o'clock an order had come down fol-
the -th regiment and the three companie,
Of the til to sail for Egypt in as short I,
time as they could be ready, and that mean
only few hours.
Early in the afternoon Valerie, sitting
listlessly in the garden, trying in vain t.
keep the tears out of her eyes-and heJ
thoughts from Max Beauregard-saw Q
mounted orderly at the gate She RAJ
down and took from him letter.
from Mrs. Fanshawe, miss" he said,
saluting; and before the girl could speak
he turned and rode off at gallop.
Valeris's cheek blanched. Why that
desperate haste' Were the troops ordered
outs The girl opened the letter with trem.
bling fingers. 1t was almost a scrawl:
"MY DEAR CHILD:
Hardly time for a line. Our men or.
dered out to Egypt-leave in an hour from
this. l am going to Alexandria. viii
write to you first opportunity. Captain